Furor Over 'Satanic Verses' Rises As 2 More Book Chains Halt Sales

By EDWIN McDOWELL

Published: February 18, 1989

The furor surrounding Salman Rushdie's novel ''The Satanic Verses'' spread yesterday as the B. Dalton and Barnes & Noble chains, which have more than 1,250 stores in the United States, said they would no longer sell the book.

The action follows a decision on Thursday by the nation's largest bookseller, Waldenbooks, to remove the book from its shelves. The three chains account for 20 percent to 30 percent of the book sales in the United States.

At the same time, a Canadian Government agency, Revenue Canada, acting on a complaint from a Muslim group, halted imports of the novel to review whether the book violates laws banning the dissemination of hate literature. The novel was published in Canada in October but is printed outside the country. Canadian Chain Acts

Coles Book Stores Ltd. also announced yesterday that it would not sell ''The Satanic Verses.'' Coles, owned by Southam Inc., has almost 200 outlets across Canada and the United States.

Muslim groups have said the novel defames the Prophet Mohammed, and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Iranian leader, has called on Muslims to kill Mr. Rushdie and the book's publishers. Despite the threats and despite violent protests in several countries, no attacks have been reported at bookstores in the United States.

In the Islamic world, voices were raised in the novelist's defense as well. A leading Egyptian author said threats against Mr. Rushdie amounted to ''intellectual terrorism.'' [ Page 6. ]

Several organizations of American authors and publishers have issued declarations defending Mr. Rushdie. At first, few individuals were willing to sign the protests - ''my wife said she doesn't want to see my name in the newspaper in this climate,'' one book executive said - but by yesterday a number of authors had come forward.

In New York, Norman Mailer, Gay Talese, E. L. Doctorow, Susan Sontag and Robert Stone agreed to take part next week in a public reading of selections from ''The Satanic Verses'' and other Rushdie writings.

Ms. Sontag, Frances FitzGerald, Rose Styron, William Styron and Robert Coover have also publicly condemned the death threats.

Nevertheless, the initial failure of authors to form a united front on behalf of Mr. Rushdie evoked sharp condemnation from Mr. Talese. Authors' Response Called Slow

''The character of American writers is very much on the line at this moment,'' he said, ''and it looks like many of them lack the courage of the convictions they so often and so loudly espouse.''

Karen Kennerly, executive director of the PEN American Center, an authors' group, acknowledged that writers have been slow to respond. ''I think it's because they were stunned and didn't know what would be good for Rushdie,'' she said. ''Now I think they are beginning to speak out.''

The B. Dalton decision was perhaps more symbolic than important, since a Dalton spokesman had said two days ago that the chain had already sold most of its 5,000 copies that it ordered. Many Stores Out of Copies

Officials of Crown Books, another major chain, did not return telephone calls seeking to determine the chain's policy on the book. Employees in Crown stores in Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington said they had not heard of any policy. A spokesman for the American Booksellers Association said ''about 95 percent of our members'' are out of the book.

Employees at Viking Penguin said yesterday that the company planned to print more copies of ''The Satanic Verses,'' which is no longer available even in many stores willing to sell it.

But the publisher's decision was made before yesterday's announcement from B. Dalton, and it is unknown whether the house - which was closed yesterday after receiving bomb threats on two consecutive days - will proceed with its reprint plans.

There are currently 72,500 copies in print in the United States, after an initial printing of 50,000. Fist Such Act by Chain

Leonard Riggio, chief executive officer of B. Dalton, which includes Barnes & Noble, said the chain had never before pulled a book from its shelves.

''It is regretable that a foreign government has been able to hold hostage our most sacred First Amendment principle,'' he said. ''Nevertheless, under these extraordinary circumstances, the safety of our employees and patrons must take precedence.''

That decision follows by one day the Waldenbooks decision to remove the Rushdie novel from the shelves of its 1,200 stores. The Waldenbooks decision was also said to be intended to protect the company's employees.

Yesterday, the Authors Guild sent telegrams to Waldenbooks and to B. Dalton saying it was ''shocked and dismayed'' at their withdrawing the book.

''At a time when freedom of expression is under threat,'' the telegram to Waldenbooks said, ''it is imperative that all publishers, authors and bookstores stand together against this despicable form of intimidation and censorship.''

The reading of Mr. Rushdie's works next week in Manhattan is sponsored by American PEN, the Authors Guild and Article 19, an international anti-censorship organization. It is scheduled for noon on Wednesday at The Columns, 584 Broadway in Manhattan.

Wednesday is the official publication date of ''The Satanic Verses,'' which was shipped to bookstores several weeks ago.

Most American religious and civil liberties groups have so far been silent about the threats against Mr. Rushdie and about the withdrawal of the book from store shelves. No U.S. Role Seen

A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice said yesterday that she did not see any role for the Department in the Rushdie controversy.

''My immediate thought is that you can't force Waldenbooks or anyone else to sell any particular book,'' said the spokeswoman, Deborah Burstion-Wade. ''They're not trying to prevent anyone from printing or reading anything. so I can't see how it's a technical violation of Constitutional right that we could go after.''

Photo of a speaker addressing Muslims in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, to demand the execution of Salman Rushdie, author of the novel ''The Satanic Verses,'' which Muslims have called blasphemous (Reuters)